President Ma Ying-jeou met with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Raymond F. Burghardt on the morning of January 25 and expressed his appreciation to Chairman Burghardt for making a special trip to Taiwan to brief officials here on the visit by mainland China leader Hu Jintao to Washington D.C. from January 18 to January 21.
The president remarked that US President Barack Obama reiterated at a press conference after a summit meeting with Mr. Hu that the United States will comply with the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), while Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reaffirmed America's commitment to the TRA, which demonstrates that the United States intends to continue to abide by the legislation.
The president added that Secretary of State Clinton on January 14 welcomed the increasingly close interaction between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and especially the signing of the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). Meanwhile, the joint statement released after the Obama-Hu summit meeting also made mention of this point. President Ma said this shows that President Obama welcomes the current tone of cross-strait ties. In particular, the increased cross-strait interactions in the economic sphere and elsewhere brought on by signing of the ECFA are in the interests of both the region and the United States. President Ma said this development is encouraging, since the initiative to improve cross-strait relations was undertaken to promote cross-strait peace and regional stability.
President Ma commented that the US government in January and August of last year approved sales of weaponry to Taiwan and stressed that these decisions were made in accordance with the TRA, without prior consultations with mainland China. The president remarked that this demonstrates a willingness to respect assurances given to Taiwan after the US-PRC Joint Communiqué of August 17, 1982, when the United States affirmed that it did not agree to set a date certain for ending arms sales to Taiwan, did not agree to engage in prior consultations with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan, has no mediation role in cross-strait relations, has no plans to seek any revisions to the TRA, has made no change in its long-standing position on the issue of sovereignty over Taiwan, and will not attempt to exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into negotiations with the PRC.
With regard to the increasing military imbalance between the two sides, President Ma expressed his hope that the United States will agree as soon as possible to the sale of F-16C/D series fighter jets and diesel-electric submarines to Taiwan. He stressed that the military imbalance in the Taiwan Strait is not beneficial to cross-strait relations or regional security. Taiwan is not looking to expand its arsenal, but rather to replace aging equipment, with the new arms slated to be used for defensive purposes.
President Ma also expressed his appreciation to the United States for its assistance in helping Taiwan to have greater participation in the international community, including its support for Taiwan's participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He also stated his hope that negotiations on the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement between Taiwan and the United States will resume soon, which he said would help to further strengthen the bilateral trade and economic relationship. President Ma also said he is looking forward to progress on a bilateral extradition agreement and inclusion of ROC nationals in the US Visa Waiver Program.
Chairman Burghardt was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning by Deputy Foreign Minister Lyushun Shen to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Secretary-General Hu Wei-jen.